Look inside the first freestanding cancer hospital in NJ

🔴 NJ's first freestanding cancer hospital has opened

🔴 It's one of only 13 freestanding cancer hospitals in the U.S.

🔴 The facility focuses on both inpatient and outpatient care

NEW BRUNSWICK — New Jersey now has its first free-standing comprehensive cancer hospital.

The ribbon was recently cut on the Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, an extension of the RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Brunswick. It is named after the longtime New Jersey real estate developer and his wife.

The Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center

The $900 million, 520,000-square-foot, 12-story building is connected by a skybridge to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Rutgers Cancer Institute.

The facility, known as “The Morris,” is now one of only 13 freestanding cancer hospitals in the country.

“What it means for the patients in New Jersey is they will be able to access focused, cutting-edge comprehensive cancer care that spans the spectrum of out patient to inpatient care right here in their own state,” Dr. Steven Libutti, Rutgers Cancer Institute director and senior vice president of oncology services, said.

Patients will no longer have to travel out-of-state to places like New York or Philadelphia for treatment, he said.

The Morris is under the guidance of a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive Rutgers Cancer Institute. This is the only NCI-designated cancer center in New Jersey.

Since The Morris is connected to Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJ University Hospital by a skybridge, that means cancer patients who may develop issues that require other specialists, whether it’s cardiac or diabetes, can go across the street for a consult or a transfer if necessary, Libutti said.

The uniqueness of the facility

“We added the capability to perform surgeries in 9 state-of-the-art operating rooms focused on cancer surgery in the building and expanded our inpatient capacity to 96 single private inpatient rooms,” Libutti said.

Plus, with 84 infusion chairs, and 86 exam rooms, thousands of patients can be seen throughout the year, he added.

The facility also features an onsite pharmacy, four brand new linear accelerators, imaging facilities, Pet scans, CT scans, and MRI scans, as well as a range of services dedicated to patient wellness from massages to cooking classes, all in the same building.

The research laboratory is see-through. So, people can look into the lab as they are walking through the facility. Libutti calls it “science on display.”

The cancer hospital will also have a small arcade and a toy store, designed to have a Jersey Shore boardwalk theme.

What makes The Morris unique is that the facility is focused on both outpatient and inpatient care specifically for cancer patients.

No other disease will be treated at this facility, Libutti said.

“What we really hope to accomplish is a state-of-the art world class facility focused on the care of cancer patients from the outpatient setting to an inpatient admission if that is required and back to the outpatient setting all under the care of the same team that’s working to better the outcome of that patient no matter where they are,” Libutti added.

It has a homey feel

The facility has been designed around the patient, so it’s a very patient-focused experience. Libutti said he received a lot of input from patients before coming up with the design of The Morris.

So, not only will they be able to treat cancer but also provide care for the patient and their family as they take on this challenging journey.

The facility does not look like a hospital or a doctor’s office. It feels like being at home, Libutti said. The patient rooms resemble a bedroom or a living room with comfortable chairs and exam tables.

More outpatient facilities to come

The Morris is part of a $1.5 billion investment by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute in cancer care in New Jersey.

Libutti said no cancer patient should ever be more than 20 minutes away from exceptional cancer care. More outpatient facilities will be opening in the near future.

The first one is the Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, scheduled to open in the fall. This is a 150,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art outpatient facility.

The other, opening in 2026, will be located in Tinton Falls on the campus of The Vogel Medical Center, the new site for Monmouth Medical Center, and it will have a brand new 150,000 square-foot cancer center.

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